Ajusco: A new cycle starts

"May that your face reflect your heart"

We are writing the story of our ascent of Ajusco for those who came with us up this mountain as well as for those who would like to do this journey of the hearth along side us. As the Wirrarikas say, such a journey helps us to see in Nature the visible face of Spirit.

Our story starts at the metro station Universidad when we saw in the distance the peak of Ajusco jutting above the clouds, illuminated by a few rays of the sun. Surrounded by mist, ever changing in its beauty, it called to us and we were eager to be there. We wanted to take a photograph but when the camera was ready the clouds had covered the peak!

We decided to wait to take the photo at the College of Mexico. When we got there, we had quite a surprise. This had always been our place to meet and we always had been able to see the peak, which inspired for the battle to pursue greater consciousness. On this day, however, it was not possible to see it. A large apartment block obstructed our view of the peak of Ajusco, a true reflection that when progress advances, Nature retreats.

Since it had been several months since we had climbed a mountain near the city of Mexico, we were expecting a number of people who had written to confirm their participation. We were looking forward to welcoming new people as well as veterans. Manes wanted to see and embrace Noemi, Jorge, Carlos, Sandra and other ones. However, time was passing and after an hour we were only four. Although excited by the prospect of the climb, we were also feeling some sadness because of those who had not come and some apprehension because of the dense clouds surrounding Ajusco.

Another surprise was waiting for us when we reached the entrance to the lodge of Ajusco. The gate was locked and no one knew at what time it would be opened. We all said: maybe yes, maybe no! Without loosing our enthusiasm, we drove down to the restaurants near the entrance and took this opportunity to have breakfast - delicious quesadillas and 'tlacoyos' with hot chocolate mmmhhh! ... After this tasty big meal and weighing the warnings from the villagers as to whether it was safe to go in the rain, we started our walk. We went in a walk of attention, taking paths we did not know well and came upon a river. We followed it all the way until we arrived at a fence, which we assumed was to prevent people could pollute the water. We walked for a while listening to the sound of water which flowed abundantly, a serenade of beautiful sounds which imbued our being with calm and profound harmony.

Our first stop was at a magical spot where heavy rainfall had created a deep pond. There were small plants in the mud at the bottom, creating a beautiful but dark micro system. The surface of the water was like a mirror and the darkness below reflected the trees and the sky. Our attention was immediately engaged and we decided to absorb its quality. We become reflective and adopted a meditative attitude, observing in silence this mirror seeing our inner self also reflected therein. At the end of our meditation, those who wanted to shared their insights.

We then continued on our way without a specific destination. We went where the path took us, passing through enchanting sceneries which gave us great joy. We saw brilliant yellow flowers and wonderful green vegetation. We could easily appreciate the power of water to renew. Later on, we arrived at a place where the fence was down and we could pass through allowing us to walk near the river. We were able to hear the sound of water, which was very pleasant.

Our attention was also drawn to a piece of land completely surrounded by water thus forming an island. We decided to do another exercise with Water. We started by simply listening to the sound the water was making as it ran by sometimes close to us, sometimes at a distance. Afterwards, we observed the water as it continuously flowed by on its chosen course. We noticed its rhythms as it meant with obstacles whether strong or soft and in other places very calm. We realized that we also needed this fluidity in the various facets of our lives.

After nearly an hour spent in this wonderful way, we continued to walk and came to another beautiful landscape - a solitary tree in a green pasture with the sound of water in the background. Wanting to enjoy this place, we stopped and did exercises to move our each part of our bodies being aware of tension. We expressed what we were feeling with sounds. What a great way to rest! We decided to eat in this beautiful place and the sun came out for a moment. We saw however how overcast it was becoming so we chose to return to the lodge to see if it was open and to go to the Valley of Whispers where we wanted to camp.

Having paid our entry to the lodge, we headed for the valley with our backpacks on our backs. We were met with another surprise. This had become a construction site with unfinished huts, bathrooms, a kiosk and a camping area. It was evident that the harmony of the place had been disrupted. We went to the very extreme of the valley, as far away from the building site where we could pitch our tents surrounded with Nature. Here, we found the peace and harmony we remembered. As we were putting up our tents, we were caught in a downpour that arrived so quickly we could not take cover in time - we were drenched. Despite being wet we continued to prepare the camp, finishing erecting our tents now quite damp.

Night was falling rapidly but we wanted to do our ritual fire and give neneriery before going to sleep. So we went searching for wood but everything was very damp and it was drizzling. Given these circumstances we could only do our best and therefore formed a circle, made our offerings to Ajusco and asked to be allowed to be in this place in the same way as on previous occasions and to learn what we needed to learn. As by magic, as soon as we had made our offering, the rain stopped and it did not rain throughout the night.

To light the fire, we used several pieces of ocote that a participant had thoughtfully brought along. Lighting it was quite easy but maintaining it was another matter. The wood was damp and dampness does not light! We therefore used paper from a notebook that the same person also had brought and with a lot of effort from all of us we managed to keep a small fire going for an hour. This gave us just enough time to complete our ritual. Afterwards, somewhat cold but still happy, we ate our supper and went to bed immediately as we had planned to climb to the summit very early the next day.

Early in the morning came the shout of 'Goooood Moooorning, it is time already!' Some wanted to sleep longer but it was not possible. Leaving most of our things in the tents and hoping that it would dry, we needed to leave quickly to avoid other climbers. After a light breakfast, we headed in a walk of attention for the summit shrouded in mist and the cold of the mountain.

Walking on a green carpet, our bodies relaxed as did our vision. Tayau appeared from time to time; dissipating the fog a little and allowing us to see some intense blue sky above and in the valley below a whole spectrum of green shades created by the trees and cultivated fields. We could also see whole areas covered with yellow flowers. Within minutes, the sky was again covered with clouds going along their journey blown by the wind.

In this way, we arrived at the part of the mountain where Manes remembered as the place where she had once comforted our friend, Yvonne, who could not go any further up the mountain. We remembered her as the beautiful woman who taught us that what we yearn for, we can make happen; that we create ourselves our inner power that is then available to us. All it takes is commitment, dedication and love. This allows us to see our inner strength and beauty, giving us the awareness we need to go in the direction we have chosen.

Later on, our friend was able to accompany us to the summits of other mountains: Iztaccihuatl, Nevado de Toluca, Malinche, etc. We remembered as well that we had seen her not only climb physical mountains but emotional and mental ones. Her example helped all those who went with her to see not only that age was not an obstacle but that it is ourselves that create limitations. Furthermore, we understood that to overcome these limitations all we need is awareness and choice and that we have many alternatives in life.

This lead us to remember others who had also walked with us, like those who climbed with us during the vision quest: Monica, Maria Esther, Carlos, Jose Luis, the Colin family, the Gaitan family, Rosa Maria, Miguel Angel, Hugo, Noemi, Gabriel, and Francisco. And then there were those who were here when we started our preparation for Aconcagua: Francisca, Sandra, Veronica, and Olimpo, as well as other friends who came at other times: Víctor, Demian, Manolo, Alberto, Ayuso, Socorro, Hector, Esteban, La Viveros, Alejandra, Shiori, Ixamayo, Elizabeth, Rosario, Maria, Raul, Laura, Rodrigo, and Norma; plus all those too numerous to name who are in our hearts. On this special day, we also included those ever changing beings of the mountain: the clouds, the sun, the mist, the wind, the cold, the heat, the raindrops on the grass, the flowers, the beautiful landscape. Everything moved into a recapitulation bringing us to the present, to all those beings who have walked the paths of this mountain looking for knowledge and therefore helped the Sun to illuminate the world. To all of these we gave thanks because, without them, we could not follow our path of heart.

Resting from time to time, we arrived at the summit where a marvellous spectacle awaited us. We could see on one side, the Nevado de Toluca protruding above the clouds and later on the other side the imposing Iztaccihualt and Popocatepetl silhouetted against a dark sky. With this fantastic landscape as our witness, we renewed our commitment to Life and we felt full of power and passion to continue to climb not only the mountains of this beautiful planet but also those in our lives.

After savouring the wonderful gifts of this day, we gathered ourselves to go down. At that moment, a large group of young people from Tai Won Do of Mexico arrived who were climbing as part of their training. We shared some of our food with them. We were happy to see young people, boys and girls, so at ease up here at this altitude. We hoped that this was not going to be their only climb and others in the group agreed. They felt the spirit of joy here and wanted to experience it again on other mountains.

In the midst of all this excitement, one of the group became distracted and slipped very near a precipice. Fortunately, his reflexes were perfect and he could stop himself using roots sticking out of the ground. The lesson was clear: the mountain gives but also demands total commitment and attention. This is why her energy generates consciousness.

We calmly continued down when suddenly Life gave us another gift for which we were grateful. Amongst the mist and the boulders, the rays of the sun created a rainbow that magically surrounded us like an aura. It was a moment of joy. We took a photograph with the intention of sharing it with everyone, those who came and those who might come! May it be so!